The construction of Barcelona’s squad this summer has become one of the biggest puzzles in European football. From a club on the verge of bankruptcy, the Catalans became one of the most fascinating teams with a fantastic cadre of players, including a superstar in the form of Robert Lewandowski. But it seems that with the contract of one of its players, it is possible to start and get answers about Barca’s methods of persuasion.
The issue of extending Osman Dembele’s contract was one that accompanied Barcelona since the middle of last season. As you may remember, the club has already announced that the Frenchman has been removed from the team’s squad and that he will leave when his contract expires this summer. Then came Xavi.
The coach who came in place of Ronald Koeman insisted on keeping the extremist in the team, and it paid him back big time. The French scored 13 goals, all the way to second place at the end of a nightmarish season for the club. But one cloud continued to hover over the romance between Dembele and Barcelona – his contract.
Despite numerous publications about offers from the continent’s giants, in the end Osman Dembele concluded his terms for two more years in Barcelona for a salary of 11 million euros per season. But the interesting part of the agreement between the parties comes from the direction of the Frenchman’s unusual release clause.
Although he signed the contract this June, Dembele has a release clause that allows him to leave the team already this summer, for 100 million euros. Moreover, if it is indeed realized, the Frenchman together with his agent will receive no less than 50% of the amount that will be paid for it. Meaning – 50 million euros.
If he is not sold in the current transfer window, Dembele’s release clause will drop by half next summer and will be only 50 million euros.